The 7 Best Blog Posts on Project Management in 2018

Project management is thriving. People are coming to realize that most everything they do can be considered a project, no matter how big or small.

We’re just happy to help people manage their projects with our project management software, blog posts and videos that offer practical solutions to things like time management, using resources more effectively and managing teams. Of course, we’re not the only ones with great ideas, which is why we’ve shared our favorites from our site and beyond.

Best Blog Posts on Project Management from ProjectManager.com

Being that project management is our business, let’s start with some of the posts we thought were most engaging on our site this year.

The 7 Habits of Successful Project Managers

A project needs a manager. It can exist without one, but the chances of it ending successfully are slim. Project managers are the glue that holds the project together and gives it integrity. But there are probably as many ways to manage a project as there are project managers.

So, how can you cut through the noise to find the signal to lead you to a successful completion of your project? One way is to see how others have done it before you. How do project managers with a track record of success act? What are their habits? Maybe by emulating them, you can repeat their successes.

That’s why we looked at the 7 habits of successful project managers and shared the results. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, many successful project managers shared certain traits, such as being good listeners, being prepared and being willing to question.

How to Create SMART Goals

One thing you’ll discover about project management is that it’s full of jargon and acronyms. That’s just normal for any profession. Consider it shorthand for people who are well-versed in the field, but it can be intimidating to those new to project management.

We try to open those doors to everyone, and that’s why we took the time to write about SMART goals. First, having goals and being able to achieve them is critical to any well-run project. And secondly, SMART is a damn fine method to do so.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Related. Think of it as a simple way to help you and your team become more productive. You must have goals to achieve them, but to achieve those goals you must have a method.

Six Sigma: A Simple Guide for Project Managers

There’s more than one way to do something right, and project management is full of great methodologies to help with projects big and small. One such is Six Sigma, which is used to improve the quality of an output in a process.

Why would you apply Six Sigma to your project? It’s a way to continuously achieve stability and predictable results from a process. That’s how you run a successful project. There’s always going to be some risk involved in a project, but often it’s how well you prepare and control that risk that marks good project management.

Project Management Processes & Phases

Project management has been around under various names since the dawn of man. The pyramids weren’t just thrown together. There was a plan and that plan was executed, monitored and reported on to the pharaoh, who was likely a lot less forgiving of mistakes than your boss.

Over time, project management has been thought about deeply and parsed into the building blocks that make it stand as such an achievement. One thing that was defined was that project management is made up of processes and phases.

There are five phases of project management that see a project through from initiation to close. There are also processes by which to implement and control those phases. What, you want to know more? Of course you do! That’s why you need to read the whole article about processes and phases.

Project Initiation: How to Start Your Project Off Right

The first phase of any project is the initiation. That’s how you start the project, and how you start it is going to influence every phase that follows.

Phases are broken down into smaller tasks, and the same is true for the initiation phase. There are several steps that are necessary to make sure you are starting the project off properly. From creating a business case and feasibility study to assembling a team and a project office, all are necessary to make sure you cover all your bases.

The last thing you want to do is have to backtrack once you execute your project because you missed a vital step in the initiation process. It’s that important. Take a moment to read why project initiation is a crucial first step in any project.

The Best Blogs on Project Management from Around the Web

We’re not the only blog that writes about project management. There are others that offer insight into the processes and methodologies of running a successful project. We read them, and so should you. Here are some that caught our attention this year.

Project Management Guide: Tips, Strategies, Best Practices

Our friends at CIO paint project management in broad strokes. This is a good thing. You don’t want to start in the weeds. There will be time for that when one gains experience and skills. Going deeper is not a problem, unless you’ve never cracked the surface.

Therefore, their look at the basic tips, strategies and best practices involved in project management is a fine introduction to the field. But if you’re already familiar with the practice of project management, there’s nothing wrong with a refresher. There may be things you’ve forgotten or take for granted.

The article is insightful in why projects fail, defining terms, goals and why project management is similar but different than change management. You’ll also learn about the people who make up the various parts of the profession, what a PMO and EPMO is and their benefits. There’s a lot more, so bookmark it.

Agile vs. Scrum vs. Kanban: Weighing the Differences

Some of the newer approaches to project management, like Agile, are controversial. Is it a methodology or not? Just read some of the comments on this topic. People are impassioned! Who says project managers are a staid lot?

CMS Wire has the guts to dip into those dangerous waters and go on record by defining Agile, Scrum and Kanban and explaining the differences between them—going into details about the pros and cons of using each one to help manage your project.

The article is great if you’re curious about Agile, Scrum and Kanban and want to know if one of them is right for you and your project. If you’re ready to jump into contentious debate, here’s the post.

If you’re interested in more project management articles and videos, then dive deeper into our blog. If you’re interested in a project management software, then check out ProjectManager.com. Our cloud-based tool is designed to help you manage projects more efficiently and productively. Take it out for a spin and see with this free 30-day trial.